It is no secret that Liverpool need to enter the transfer market this summer, with a couple of new midfielders at least being the priority.
Many of the team's problems this season stemmed from a drop-off in midfield, with Fabinho far below his previous level and the likes of Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara beginning to show signs of their age.
Considering James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all leaving at the end of their contracts too, midfield is likely to need a fairly major overhaul, even accounting for the new hybrid role of Trent Alexander-Arnold towards the end of the season.
Jude Bellingham, long tipped as the top target, is no longer on the agenda, but the Reds have moved quickly to sign Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion for a cut-price £35m initial fee.
Other names such as Mason Mount, Declan Rice, Nicolo Barella, Bruno Guimaraes, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Romeo Lavia have all been mooted at various stages, although French duo Manu Kone and Khephren Thuram now appear to be higher up Liverpool's list of possible targets.
The Reds are also understood to be in the market for a new right-back and centre-back, while a back-up goalkeeper could be needed should Caoimhin Kelleher leave.
The good news for Liverpool is that they have rarely got things wrong when signing players during the Jurgen Klopp era - those they do bring in usually prove to be positive acquisitions.
It is when they have not strengthened where they needed to - such as in midfield last summer - that they have fallen short, but incomings are assured in that area of the field this time around and Liverpool's track record suggests that they will bring in the right men for the job too.
Whether their lack of Champions League football affects their ability to get their top targets - be it for financial or footballing reasons - remains to be seen, but it is likely to be a busy summer on Merseyside.
It could also be a busy time on the training pitch, with Klopp no doubt looking forward to having time to perfect the end-of-season tactical switch, including Alexander-Arnold's new role, in pre-season.
Barney Corkhill
